Tata and Katia in the mirror

Two girls sit at a vanity in the foreground, dressed in striped blue and white clothing, their attention divided between looking down and gazing directly outward. Behind them, an ornate wooden mirror with elaborate carved frame dominates the composition, reflecting a woman seated at the vanity and a figure visible through receding doorways. Soft light enters from above and through the background doorways, illuminating the pale tan interior spaces that recede away from us, while the foreground is anchored by warm reddish-brown furniture and the girls' solid forms. The eye enters through the right girl's direct gaze, then travels into the mirror's reflection, creating a psychological dialogue between observation and introspection.

The painting uses a close-value, atmospheric structure rather than dramatic contrast. The darkest darks are the navy-blue clothing stripes and the shadowed wood of the furniture and mirror frame. The lightest lights are concentrated in the mirror's reflection—the cream-colored walls and doorways of the interior beyond. The lavender walls and mid-tone flesh are the true dominant values, creating a unified, harmonious middle register. Squint and you'll see three distinct bands: dark blue-brown foreground, soft lavender middle, and very pale receding interior.

• #4b373d

  ultramarine blue + raw umber + white (for shadows and dark mauve tones)

  shadows in the mirror frame, darkest parts of girls' clothing and hair

• #876d65

  raw sienna + white + touch of ultramarine (warm beige-brown)

  the interior walls visible through mirror and doorways, furniture mid-tones

• #86513e

  burnt sienna + ultramarine (or alizarin) (reddish-brown)

  the ornate mirror frame and vanity furniture, warm local color

• #7c4035

  burnt sienna + ultramarine + minimal white (deep reddish-brown)

  shadows on furniture, defined edges of carved mirror frame

• #a68c7e

  yellow ochre + burnt sienna + white (warm tan)

  the light interior and reflected space, skin tone base

• #cbb398

  yellow ochre + white + touch of alizarin (pale warm tan)

  lightest highlights in the reflection and doorways, highlights on faces and arms

Edges in this painting are predominantly soft and lost, especially where figures meet the lavender wall—this creates depth and quietness. The ornate mirror frame retains slightly crisper edges to emphasize its sculptural presence, but even these are not hard. Brushwork is visible throughout but restrained; you can see the directional strokes building form in the walls and furniture, yet they never become decorative or showy. The reflection is painted more loosely and blended than the foreground figures, creating atmospheric recession without obvious technique.

1. 01

   Establish the composition in thin ochre

   Using a diluted yellow ochre or raw sienna, lightly block in the major shapes: the ornate mirror's rectangular outer frame, the position of the two girls and their chairs, the vanity surface, and the receding doorways behind. Keep lines loose and proportional—note that the right girl's head is slightly higher and more forward than the left girl's. Don't render detail; just establish where things live on your canvas.

2. 02

   Lay in the lavender wall, sky-light principle

   Mix your lavender wall tone (ultramarine + alizarin or red + plenty of white). Apply this as your primary background, leaving the mirror interior, doorways, and vanity top unpainted. This lavender is cooler than the warm furniture—let it establish the quiet, interior mood. Notice the wall has subtle warm and cool variations, but don't chase these yet; aim for consistent color and value.

3. 03

   Paint the mirror frame and establish warm/cool contrast

   Block in the ornate mirror frame using burnt sienna + ultramarine, keeping it warm and darker than the walls. The interior of the mirror (what will reflect) should be much lighter—a pale warm tan or cream. Paint the rough shape of the vanity surface and dresser in warm brown (raw sienna + white). These warm brown furniture shapes now push against the cool lavender, creating the foundational color harmony.

4. 04

   Develop the reflected space with atmospheric perspective

   Paint the reflection inside the mirror: the seated woman in cream-white with a blue-purple shadow, the doorways receding into pale tan-cream tones, and a distant figure in blue visible through the doors. Keep this reflected space noticeably lighter and softer than the foreground—blend edges and use less saturated color. The woman at the vanity should show a turned-away pose, her white garment catching light.

5. 05

   Block in the girls' clothing and establish local color

   Paint the dark navy-blue stripes of both girls' tops and skirts, leaving the white stripes unpainted. The blue should be deep (ultramarine with minimal white, possibly a touch of black). The left girl wears a darker overall impression; the right girl's blue is equally saturated but her blonde hair and lighter value head make her appear brighter. Establish skin tones on both faces and visible arms using yellow ochre + white, with raw sienna added to shadows.

6. 06

   Refine faces, hair, and the psychology of gaze

   Paint the left girl's darker hair with a warm brown (burnt sienna + ultramarine). Define her face looking downward—her expression is introspective. Paint the right girl's lighter hair (yellow ochre + white, with touches of raw sienna in shadow) and her face looking directly outward with a clear, calm gaze. This contrast between inward and outward attention is the emotional heart—refine eyes, mouth shapes, and the turn of heads to express this difference.

7. 07

   Establish the small vanity details and far-background elements

   Paint the small objects on the vanity surface (figurines, cosmetic bottles, brushes) using quick, simple shapes—don't render them photo-realistically. Notice the pale rectangles of pictures on the left wall against the lavender; paint these as muted gold-yellow shapes. Add the suggestion of pink fabric or clothing on the far left edge, partially cut off. These details should feel discovered, not labored.

8. 08

   Unify, soften, and refine color harmonies

   Step back and assess: are the blue stripes singing against the warm browns and lavender? Is the reflection clearly receding? Soften any hard edges in the figure boundaries where they meet the wall. Warm or cool the shadowed areas of the walls as needed—add subtle variations to the lavender if the wall feels flat. Refine the ornate mirror frame's carved details with small, purposeful darker lines. Ensure the right girl's direct gaze meets the viewer; this moment of connection should feel calm and unguarded.

• Painting the mirror reflection too dark or too saturated—the interior space must read as receding and atmospheric, not as opaque as the foreground. Keep the reflected woman and background lighter than the girls.
• Mixing a lavender wall that feels too purple or too blue—this lavender needs warmth and restraint. Add white generously and use it as a unifying background, not a statement color.
• Neglecting the psychological contrast between the two girls' gazes and postures. The left girl's inward attention and the right girl's outward directness define the composition. Losing this contrast weakens the entire work.
• Overworking the ornate mirror frame with excessive carving detail. The frame's importance is architectural, not decorative—suggest the carved swags and flourishes with value changes rather than line.
• Making the vanity objects or background figures too prominent. These should feel like discovered moments, not arranged props. Keep them simple and subordinate to the two girls.

beginner friendliness

value contrast

palette complexity

compositional simplicity

brushwork visibility